Commercial tricycle operators in Cross River State has staged a protest in Calabar over what they described as a hike in levies imposed on them by a government task force operating in Calabar South Local Government Area.
The operators, popularly known as Keke riders, blocked major routes including Etta Agbor Road and Goldie Junction in the early hours of the day, disrupting vehicular movement and commercial activities in parts of the city.
Eyewitnesses said the protesters chanted slogans and repeatedly honked their horns while preventing motorists and commuters from freely accessing the affected roads.
Some of the riders who spoke during the protest alleged that they were being subjected to multiple daily payments which had become difficult for them to sustain.
One of the protesters said the task force collects ₦700 from each rider in the morning and ₦500 in the evening, amounting to ₦1,200 daily.
“We pay ₦700 in the morning and ₦500 in the evening, which is ₦1,200 every day. Apart from that, we are forced to pay ₦100 at every loading point to those stationed there. This is too much for us,” the rider said.
The protest caused temporary disruption to commercial and social activities in parts of Calabar as traders, residents and students who rely on the affected routes struggled to move around the city.
The tricycle operators later suspended the protest, explaining that the decision was taken because the state governor was not in town to address their grievances.
“We decided to stop the protest for now because the governor is not around. We want him to hear our complaints directly,” another protester said.
The riders also lamented the absence of a functional union to represent their interests, noting that the situation had left them vulnerable to exploitation.
“We don’t have a union, and that is why this oppression keeps increasing every day. There is nobody to speak for us,” one of them added.
Despite the protest, ticket collections by the task force reportedly continued later in the day.
Sources said the task force mounted a collection point along Fonton Street in Calabar South where tricycle riders were seen purchasing tickets.
However, allegations linking the task force’s activities to individuals within the state government could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted for comment, the special adviser to the governor on general duties, Ekpenyong Akiba declined comments.
